Paint straining and brush cleaning device



Jan; 13, 1953 J. A. DE ARMAS 2,625,270

PAINT STRAINING AND BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1950 A TTORNEX Patented Jan. 13, 1953 PAINT STRAINING AND BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE J usto Antonio de Armas, Habana, Cuba Application June 20, 1950, Serial No. 169,205

1 Claim.

This invention relates to paint strainers and more particularly to a strainer and brush cleaner for mounting in a paint container. Painters, as well as persons who occasionally employ paints, varnishes and the like, are frequently inconvenienced by the fact that, in the course of their work, dust, dirt, brush hairs and other foreign matter are introduced into the paint or varnish, provoking the formation of small lumps which, when the brush is dipped into the paint container, adhere to the brush and are then deposited on the surface that is being painted, thus impairing the finish.

Generally, the majority of the foreign substances are carried to the paint by the brush which picks them up from the surface of the object that is being painted and, when later the brush is dipped in the paint and pressed against the top edge of the paint container, some of the foreign substances flow back into the container with the excess paint squeezed from the brush, and as the work progresses the amount of impurities in the paint increase gradually till near the end the remaining paint is practically useless.

Having in mind the defects of the prior art apparatus, it is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a paint straining and brush cleanin device which, when used in combination with any of the paint containers now in the market, effectively prevents the introduction of foreign matter and lumps in the portion of the paint where the brush is dipped, so that the paint applied to the work is absolutely clean and free from substances that can mar the finish.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a paint strainer and brush cleaning device that is simple, durable, of low cost, easy to clean and which can be rapidly adjusted to ac commodate it to the amount of paint in the container so as to maintain a sufficient available amount of clean paint and reduce loss and waste to a minimum.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of straining and brush cleaning device, embodying the present invention, with the lower portion partially cut away to show the wire gauze or mesh used as a strainer and the manner in which it is attached to the body of the device;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a frontal elevation of an ordinary paint container with the paint straining and brush cleaning device mounted therein, part of the container being broken away to show the support for the device; and I Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a paint straining and brush cleaning device according to the present invention comprises an open topped body I that is at least partially foraminous, and is surmounted by a collar 2 that is supported by uprights 3. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the body, collar and uprights are cylindrical and integrally formed as by fabrication from sheet material, molding or the like, the foraminous structure being provided by a fine wire mesh 4 across the bottom of the body I.

The collar 2 is spaced above the body I and the top of the body terminates in an upwardly and inwardly inclined flange 5. In the preferred integral embodiment, the cylindrical member is provided with partially circumferential inverted U- shaped slots 6 to separate the collar 2 from the body I, the portions between the slots forming the uprights 3 and the portions beneath and partially surrounded by the slots being inclined inwardly to form segments of the flange 5.

The cylindrical body forming member may be of even diameter or slightly tapered, in which event the collar 2 is formed at the larger end. The collar 2 must have a diameter greater than the diameter between the inner edges of the flange 5, should have a diameter at least equal to that of the body I or it may be larger than the body I. A plurality of apertures 7 are vertically spaced and in diametrical relation in the collar 2 and uprights 3 if desired, and a wire bail 8 is selectively and removably mounted in a diametrically related pair of the apertures I.

In use, the device is of a size to lit in a standard paint container C as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The device is supported by the bottom portions 9 of the bail 8 resting upon the rim R of the container C, as shown in Fig. 3, the body I being within the container C and the collar 2 extending above the container rim R. The top of the body I must always be above the level L of the paint P in the container C, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the paint is admitted to the body I only through the foraminous wall thereof, such as the wire screen bottom 4. The body I may be variably positioned in the container by the selective insertion of the bail ends 5 in the vertically spaced apertures I.

In operation, the device is mounted in a container C, as above described, and the paint P flows through the foraminous wall, such as the screen bottom 4, into the body I, the paint being filtered by passage through the foraminous wall to provide clean, dirt-and-lump-free paint P within the body I. The painter may then dip his brush in the clean paint P within the body I and thereby have a clean lump-free supply. However, in cleaning his brush and removing excess paint, he presses the brush against the edge of the collar 2 so that the excess or dirtladen paint runs down the inside of the collar 2 and drips onto the inclined flange 5 or outside of the body I.

Since the top edge of body I is always maintained well above the level L of the paint P in the container C and the paint running down on the inner surface of collar 2, when the brush is pressed against said collar to rid it of excess paint, cannot enter the space enclosed by the body, all the paint P within said body must flow through the mesh at the bottom. Moreover, since the brush is always dipped in the paint Within body I, it is evident that the paint applied to the work is always clean and absolutely free from all such foreign matter as brush hairs, lumps and the like, for none of them can pass wire mesh 4.

Finally, as can best be seen in Figure 4, the device is furnished with a handle, preferably made of a curved wire with the two ends bent inward at right angles so that when they are introduced into any pair of two vertical series of apertures 1 the portions of the handle 8 adjacent to the apertures I extend out horizontally to rest on the top edge of the paint container to maintain a predetermined relation between the bottom of body I and the bottom of the paint container 0. As shown in the drawing, the two vertical series or rows of apertures I are located on diametrically opposite points on the collar 2 and/or uprights 3, corresponding apertures in both series or rows being at the same level so that when the handle is attached the bottom of body I is maintained parallel to the top of the container C. In order to adjust the height of the bottom-ofbody I so as to always maintain a suitable amount of paint within body I as the level L of the paint P in the paint container C decreases, it is only necessary to introduce the ends 9 of handle 8 into holes located successively higher, thus lowering the bottom of body i closer to the bottom of the paint container C.

Anyone somewhat versed in the matter will easily see that many changes can be introduced in the above-described device without departing either from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the narrow upstanding portions 3 can be either integral with both body I and collar 2, as shown, or they can be formed as independent members. The inclined flanges 5 can extend completely around the body or they can be eliminated by providing the collar 2 with a diameter sufilciently larger than that of body I so that the paint will not drip into the body and the lower edge of collar 2 may be below and outside of the top edge of body I for this purpose. In this case, the upright portions 3 will either slope outward and downward or extend horizontally. The contour or form of body I is immaterial, and the body I can be made substantially entirely foraminous, as of wire mesh, since its sole function is to strain the paint in which the brush is to be dipped.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A paint straining and brush cleaning device comprising a substantially cylindrical enclosure having an open top and adapted for insertion in a paint container, a foraminous bottom in said enclosure for admitting strained paint to the enclosure, said enclosure having a plurality of spaced slots disposed circumferentially adjacent the top thereof, a bail pivoted on the outside of said enclosure for resting on the top of a paint container to support said enclosure in the container with said slots above the level of the paint in the container, and frusto-conical flanges coinciding with the bottom edges of said slots and extending inwardly and upwardly of said enclosure to direct excess paint from a brush squeezed on the top edge of the enclosure to the outside of the enclosure and into the paint container and thereby prevent mixing of the excess paint with the strained paint within said enclosure.

JUSTO ANTONIO or: ARMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,1 1,159 Knox Sept. 22, 1914 1,285,948 Cook Nov. 26, 1918 1,590,572 Fredette June 29, 1926 2,016,550 Kinby Oct. 8, 1935 

